Japanese football players and coaches got more than just a taste of U.S. football, they got the full flavor of the NFL, when Keith Elias took the field with or against them in the third annual Ivy-Samurai Bowl on Sunday.
The 34-year-old Elias, a Princeton University product who has played for the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts, carried 23 times for 169 yards to help the mixed team of Princeton and Kanto College League Block B to a 26-7 victory over Penn-Block A at Tokyo's Komazawa Olympic Stadium.
In front of 10,880 football fans in rainy weather, Elias dominated the Quakers side with his powerful running style. Although he did not score a touchdown, Elias set the tone for the Tigers from the beginning, with the Quakers finding it hard to stop him. The Tigers eventually gained 320 yards on the ground.